Improvement in cultivators



R. MGGORKELL.

Wheel-Cultivator.

Patented Oct 3. 1865.

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N. PETERS. PHDTO-UTHQGRAPHER. wAsmNGToN, D c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT MGOORKELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CULTIVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,257, dated October3, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT McGoRKELL, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Oultivators; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l is a top-plan view; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection of the same, taken in the line of ma, Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and6 are views of portions detached.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

The nature of my invention consists in a novel method of attaching thedrag-bars to the frame to admit of lateral adjustment; in novel devicesfor attaching and pivoting the drag-bars; in a novel arrangement ofdevices for operating the intermediate plows, and a novel method ofattaching the plow-standards to the drag bars or beams.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my improvedcultivator, I will proceed to describe it.

I construct a frame consisting of the front cross-bar, A, connected tothe axle B by the two side bars, 0 O, and the tongue E, as shown in.Fig. 1. The front bar, A, is slotted longitudinally to permit thelateral adjustment of the drag bars or beams D by moving theirattachments in the slot, as may be desired. The drag-bars D are formedof two separate bars, divided at the front and united at their rearportion, as shown in Fig. 1. The two outer bars D are pivoted at theirfront ends to the metal pieces F, the peculiar construction of which isclearlyshown in Fig. 8. This piece F is provided on its front side witha fiat projection, a, of proper thickness to fit the slot in the bar A,the projection at having a recess cast therein of proper form and sizeto receive the head of a bolt, 0, as shown in Fig. 3.

On the rear side of F are two projecting lugs or flanges, I), havingtheirplanes at a right angle to that of a, and between these two flangesb the front end of the drag-bars D are pivoted, as shown in Fig. 1. Thebolt 0, being inserted in the recess, as shown in Fig. 3, is then thrustthrough the slot in bar A, the flat projection a entering therein, whenthe clamp e is slipped onto the bolt c on the front side of bar A, and anut, d, is screwed on to hold the parts securely in place.

The two central dragbars D are each pivoted to a single piece, G, ofwhich Fig. 5 is a rear-plan view. This plate G is pit oted to acorresponding plate, H, which is provided with a front horizontalflange, a, similar to that of F, fitting in the slot in bar A in asimilar manner. The plate H is cast with a journal projecting from itsrear face, which fits into a corresponding rccess in the center of plateG, a bolt passing through the center of both and extending through theslot in bar A, where it is secured by the clamp c and nut (1, thusholding the plates G and H together, and at the same time attaching themsecurely to the bar A.

On the rear face of plate H, at each end, curved projections s are cast,which fit into corresponding grooves in the front face of plate G, asshown in Fig. 4, which is a longitudinal section taken 011 the line of yy of Fig. 5. It will thus be seen that the plate G is free to turn in avertical plane, and that consequently, the drag-bar attached theretowill turn with it, thus throwing the plows I I, attached to said bars D,either to the right or left, as may be desired. For the purpose ofoperating these intermediate plows, I I, the lever K is pivoted on thetop of the tongue' At its front end this lever is attached to a circularmetallic plate, J, having-beveled gear on its periphery.

On each side of the tongue, directly below J, an elbow-lever, L, ispivoted, having its upper end circular, and provided with bevel-gearteeth engaging with those on plate J. At the front end of these elbowlevers L an arm, L, projects at right angles from the tongue, as shownin Fig. 1. These projecting arms L are slotted longitudinally, and intothese slots onters a pin, 1, which is secured to the rear face of plateG at its inner end, next to the tongue, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will thus be seen that as the lever K is moved to the right or leftthe elbow-levers will be operated by the teeth of plate J, the arm L ofone being depressed and that of the other being elevated, and, ofcourse, carrying with them in their movements the inner ends of thepivoted plates G, thereby moving the plows I I both in the samedirection, either to the right or left, according as the lever K ismoved in one or the other direction. Bythese means the plows I I aremade to accommodate themselves to the sinuosities of the row of plantsbetween them at the will of the driver, who is mounted upon the seat Ijust in rear of the end of the lever K. r

A rod, f, is pivoted on. top of the lever K, and has its front end bentdown at a right angle, and projects through a hole in the lever, whereit enters holes in a plate fastened on the upper side of the tongue, andthus serves to lock the lever K in position and keep the plows frommoving when desired to have them remain stationary.

The rear end of the drag-bars D is provided with a circular plate orenlargement, R, which has a series of V-shaped notches at its upper andlower edges, on both sides or faces. The plow-standards 'n, at theirupper ends, are provided with a corresponding series of notches,

as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The standards a are fastened to the bars Dby a bolt, which passestransversely through them, secured by a nut intheusual manner; but between the head of the bolt and the bar is interposeda rubber ring or disk, r, as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be observed that the notches are so formed that their frontfaces form an inclined surface or an acute angle, so that when the plowstrikes a stone, root, or other solid obstruction the upper ends of thestandards n will ride forward, the inclined surfaces of the notchesthereon sliding up the corresponding faces of the notches on the head R,the rubber spring or disk 1 being compressed and yielding sufficien-tlyto permit this to be done, and thus allow the standard n to turn on thebolt and prevent the plows from being broken or injured.

To replace the plow it is only necessary to loosen the not on the boltand turn them back to their original position.

Two arms, U, having ratchet-teeth upon their inner faces at the top, aresecured to the axle B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A lever, T, is

.pivoted to the lower portion of these arms,and

has a projection on it that engages in the notches, as shown in Fig. 1.these levers T to the drag-bars, as shown, by which the plows can beraised from the ground and held suspended there when desired.

By these means I construct a cultivator that is capable of all therequired adjustments, and that can be readily and easily manipulated. Bydetaching the drag-bars from the frame the corn-planter devicesheretofore patented to me can be easily substituted, and thus the frameand running-gear can be made to answer a double purpose, whereby a greatsaving of expense is effected for the farmer.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The metalpieces F, provided with the horizontal flange a, recessed to receive andhold the bolt 0, and having the lugs or projections 1), for the purposeof attaching the dragbars D to the slotted bar A and adjusting the sametherein, as set forth.

2. The plates G and H,constructed and arranged to operate in combinationwith the dragbars D, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The plate J, in combination with the elbow-levers L and plates G, forthe purpose of moving the plows I I, as herein described.

4. The rubber disk 1', or its equivalent, in combination with thestandard at and head R of the drag bar, when constructed and arranged tooperate as and for the'purpose set forth.

Witnesses ROBERT McCORKELL.

EDMUND WrLooX, JOHN R. MANDERFIELI), Jr.

Chains connect

